Oakhurst Teen Will Attend U.S. Naval Academy This Fall

HIGHLANDS, NJ — An Oakhurst teen who graduated this spring from the Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST) will attend the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

The teen is Nicholas Billows of Oakhurst.

He will be joined there by Samantha Foret of Middletown and Zijie Ye of Highlands, both fellow MAST graduates.

For admission to the U.S. Naval Academy, students must first be nominated by a U.S. Congressman, U.S. Senator or the vice president. In a typical year, approximately 5,000 candidates receive nominations and only 1,400 students are granted admission.

“The Marine Academy of Science and Technology has a very proud record of students admitted to U.S. service academies,” said MAST Principal Earl Moore. “We are incredibly proud of the accomplishments of these individuals and we are confident that they will be excellent representatives of MAST and the county at their respective academies.”